Student wins annual statewide poetry contest

University of Wisconsin–Madison undergraduate Christie Taylor took first place in an annual statewide poetry contest sponsored by Wisconsin People & Ideas magazine.

Taylor’s poem, “Photograph of a dinner party-1992,” stood out among 315 entries and was featured in the spring issue of Wisconsin People & Ideas.

Taylor will partake in a public reading on Thursday, April 17, at Avol’s Bookstore beginning at 7 p.m., along with two other winners and ten runners-up selected in the contest to promote National Poetry Month.
A senior majoring in journalism and sociology, Taylor praised the creative writing faculty at UW–Madison, particularly English Professor Amaud Johnson for his insightful workshops and encouragement.

Taylor’s award-winning poem drew inspiration from a friend’s photo collection.

“My initial inspiration for this poem was actually a friend’s photograph of some event or another.  It got me thinking about how some photos are full of clues about people that you might not actually notice or understand until the full story has played out later. I had also just finished reading Ulysses,” says Taylor.

In addition to being featured in Wisconsin People & Ideas magazine, Taylor’s work was printed in the campus publication Illumination last year, and she helped create a chapbook entitled “Of Light” in high school.

Taylor will also participate in a reading at the Wisconsin Book Festival in October and receive a free week’s stay at the Edenfred creative arts residency in Madison, courtesy of the Terry Family Foundation.